CHAPTER 51: HER SIZE AND MINE

{Elira}

~**^**~

"Thank you," I mumbled, standing. My muscles protested the movement, reminding me just how exhausted I really was.

I walked to my wardrobe, fingers grazing over the neat clothes I’d arranged just over an hour ago.

My gaze settled on a simple pastel dress—one of the few Rennon had picked out, saying it suited my gentle coloring. I pulled it out carefully, along with my towel and toiletries.

As I turned toward the bathroom door, my hand already on the handle, it swung inward.

Tamryn stepped out, dressed in a fresh shirt and pleated shirt. Her eyes briefly met mine before sliding away, her expression cool as always.

She passed me without a word, her presence leaving a thin trail of cocoa-scented soap in the air.

The door clicked softly behind her, and I exhaled, stepping into the bathroom. My gaze swept over the space—the clean tiled walls, two white tubs gleaming under the light, three shower stands along the far wall.

For a heartbeat, I imagined sinking into warm water, letting it melt the knots from my shoulders.

But exhaustion brought caution. What if I drifted off in the tub?

The image of being found cold and lifeless made my stomach twist.

Resolved and ready to go to one of the shower stands, I reached out to lock the door behind me when it swung open again.

Cambria stepped in, wrapped in a pale pink towel, her bare shoulders glistening with a trace of sweat.

"Oh," I blurted, my voice a surprised whisper.

I had thought I would have the bathroom all to myself as I wasn’t sure I was ready to see anybody in their newborn form.

Cambria offered an unbothered smile, padding across the floor on quiet feet. "You don’t have to keep the uniform on, Elira. We’re all girls here," she said lightly.

Before I could look away, Cambria tugged off her towel with a practiced ease, revealing skin that bore a few faint scars and soft curves.

And then, my gaze settled on her chest. They were big and sagged a bit. And for a moment, I compared her size with mine.

I averted my gaze too late, cheeks warming with embarrassment.

’Don’t stare,’ I scolded myself.

But curiosity pressed at the corners of my mind—her body looked older than her face suggested, and my gaze had lingered longer than I meant it to.

I hoped she hadn’t caught me staring.

"Check if your water’s warm before turning it on," Cambria added, her voice casual as she bent to twist the tap of one tub, baring her ass to me.

"Okay," I murmured, forcing my attention back to the shower stand.

With my back turned to her, I slipped out of my uniform, folding it carefully despite the rush.

My pulse beat loudly in my ears, more from the awkwardness of sharing space than the chill of the air.

From behind me, I heard the rush of water filling the tub Cambria had chosen.

’ She must know there’s barely time left,’ I thought, but said nothing.

Cambria always seemed to move on her own terms, unhurried yet never late.

Under the shower’s spray, the warmth settled over me like a promise of calm, washing away sweat, dust, and a part of my worry.

The scent of the soap mixed faintly with Cambria’s floral shampoo, and for a moment, I let my shoulders drop, breathing out some of the tightness in my chest.

---

By the time Cambria and I stepped back into the dorm room, the others had already left for dinner.

The room felt strangely emptier without their presence, even if some of that presence was prickly.

Cambria swung her damp ponytail back behind her shoulder and shot me a reassuring look. "Come on. Let’s go before dinner time completely runs out."

I trailed behind her, my hair still damp around my neck. There wasn’t enough time to use the hand dryer that I discovered in the bathroom cabinet, a little late.

As we stepped into the hallway and headed toward the elevator, I remembered leaving my uniform in the bathroom and blurted softly, "Um... Cambria, is there a special day when we do our laundry?"

Cambria pressed the elevator button and turned to me with a small laugh. "Not really," she said. "ESA has a huge laundry room with plenty of washing and drying machines, so you can do your laundry anytime that fits your schedule."

"That’s good," I murmured, relieved.

She added, "Some students like to hang their clothes on the balcony, so nothing gets misplaced or lost in the laundry room."

’Balcony.’ I hadn’t even checked out ours properly.

"That makes sense," I nodded, already imagining the breeze fluttering fresh-washed clothes.

As we stepped into the elevator, Cambria’s voice softened, "Oh—and don’t worry too much. We will have a special dorm orientation this weekend for supplementary students. You will get to learn everything properly then."

"That’s nice," I said, genuinely comforted by that thought.

We stepped out of the elevator, the hallway buzzing softly with other students’ voices. After a few moments of walking, something else nagged at me.

"Cambria... do you think I could borrow your notes? I mean, so I can copy them into my notebook. I... don’t think my classmates will be willing to lend theirs to me."

Cambria slowed her steps and turned her head slightly, eyes gentle. "Of course. After dinner, before study time, I will bring them over to your bed."

Relief warmed my chest. "Thank you, really."

"And don’t worry," she added, lips tilting into a mischievous smile. "All our notes are practically the same. Everyone copies the same outline, and the professors teach the same stuff so you won’t miss anything."

The tightness in my shoulders loosened at that. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been worrying about falling behind.

Cambria continued, her tone turning thoughtful, "Oh, and there’s already been a few assignments and small research projects given out. Nothing too hard—you just have to look up some things in the library."

I listened carefully, trying to memorize every detail.